Balibo

Director: Robert Connolly
Cast: Anthony La Paglia, Oscar Isaacs, Nathan Phillips, Gyton Grantley
Releasing in cinemas: 13 August 2009
Rated: PG

Dramatic re-telling of an awful truth

There’s a great resurgence this year in high quality local films. Notably, one of these is Balibo dealing with the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, when five Australian journalists go missing and are later found to have been murdered by Indonesian soldiers. It's a devastating true story of war crimes that have been hidden for 30 years.

In early October 1975 five Australian-based journalists prepare to travel to East Timor. Cameraman Brian Peters takes a call from Channel 9 reporter Malcolm Rennie, the network is furious the ABC are already on location, and Channel 7 is already heading there, so they have to move fast. The Channel 7 team consists of respected reporter Greg Shackleton, cameraman Gary Cunningham, and sound recordist Tony Stewart.

On their way Shackleton and his team met ABC journalist Tony Maniaty returning from Balibo where he’s been shelled by Indonesian ships off the coast. Maniaty explains the danger ahead for the Channel 7 party, but despite the warning they perhaps foolhardily press on. Channel 9 finally arrive in Dili and set off in persuit of Shackleton, meeting up with Channel 7's team combining to tell the story of the impending invasion.

They manage to film the Indonesians attacking from an old fort above the town of Balibo. But now their retreat is blocked and trapped in a small house in the town square they have no option but to confront the Indonesian soldiers and identify themselves. The Indonesians don’t hesitate to viciously kill the Australians.

Veteran correspondent, the dissolute hard drinking and smoking Roger East (Anthony LaPagia), based in Darwin, is lured to Indonesia by a young Jose Ramos-Horta (Oscar Issacs) to run the East Timor News Agency. East agrees to go but only if he is given a free hand to investigate the missing five journalists. East doesn’t accept the official story the men were killed in cross fire.

He and Ramos-Horta take a dangerous journey in now Indonesian occupied territory from Dili to Balibo where the journalists were camped. During the desperate trip, a friendship between East and the future President of the country slowly develops. Inter-cut with this trek, we are shown the harrowing fate of the Balibo five.

This is a powerful film with a documentary feel about it, even to the handheld camera shots and newsreel style. When violence suddenly breaks out, it’s like a cracker exploding in your hip pocket, with especially realistic and shocking war scenes leading to a particularly moving finale. You feel the underlying suppressed anger at the lack of support from the Australian Government of the day, which like the UN turned a blind eye to the most brutal aspects of the Indonesian invasion. The film's structure is not straightforward. Time shifts in the early part of Balibo are disconcerting, despite sequences of the doomed five bleached in colour to indicate time change.

The heartfelt project is from director Robert Connolly (The Bank), with excellent performances from its Australian and Timorese cast, and co-written by noted playwright and screenwriter David Williamson (Gallipoli). Anthony LaPagia (Lantana) redeems himself with a wide dramatic range seldom seen on Without a Trace. He also acts as executive producer on the film. Oscar Issacs (Body of Lies) gives a totally convincing portrayal of young Ramos-Horta, and Bea Viagas is compelling as Juliana in her screen debut. Damon Gameau (Underbelly; Tale of Two Cities) gives a very credible portrayal of Greg Shackleton, while Underbelly fans will also notice Gyton Grantley (‘Carl Williams’) as cameraman Gary Cunningham.

Balibo can’t fail to grab your attention with its tribute to those who risked their lives reporting the East Timor invasion, and the distressing truth of their massacre. It's an important Australian production which may provoke strong emotions.

John Bale

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